posted Dec 12th, 2013 - The same formula that the Sun Path Products NSL News used to evaluate the current situation and the proportional relationship between NMP-PCH Hayabusa and Arizona Airspeed can also be applied for another race for gold medals at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2014 in Prostejov.

France (Aerodyne French Girls) and USA (Golden Knights) will most likely be the two top contenders for gold in the female 4way category, and this race has been going on for the same time period as in the Open Class. However, the situation between the two teams is very different.

The Golden Knights came back for the 2013 season with the same lineup, just as NMP-PCH Hayabusa did in the Open Class. France had a new female lineup this year, just as Arizona Airspeed had to re-build the team with two new members. The situation for France still seems to be the better one in 4way Women by the end of the 2013 season.

4way Open

4way Women

4way VFS

8way Open

4th DIPC 2013		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	11,H,12	F,15,10	A,N,E,Q,8	K,4,L,6	M,C,20,5	13,O,16	3,17,18	21,7,1	G,22,14	P,19,9	Total	Avg
1	Aerodyne French Girls (FR)	17	20	24	22	26	19	18	19	18	26	209	20.9
1	SDC Rhythm XP (US)	19	19	26	22	25	17	17	21	18	25	209	20.9
3	Dubai Asaar Ladies (AE)	13	14	18	17	17	10	12	14	12	17	144	14.4
4	Fuzion (CA)	10	11	17	17	16	13	11	12	13	17	137	13.7

The previous French lineup in the female 4way category, Aerodyne Deep Blue Defenders, won the gold medals at the Mondial Dubai 2012 with a 20.7 average. Perrine Sanchez is the only reigning world champion in the new lineup.

The Golden Knights finished in 2nd place last year with a 20.1 average, which turned out to be exactly the same meet average at the USPA Nationals 2013. The US Army did not send the Golden Knights to compete at the 4th Dubai International Parachuting Championship 2013 and face off again with the new French national team.

Both teams had competed with and against each other in the 11-round thriller at the World Cup 2013, where France came out as the winner after a tie-breaking procedure, with 20.0 averages for both teams.

USPA Nationals 2013		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	G,9,C,P	F,5,15	1,E,8	4,M,7	H,N,B,O,3	14,20,L	Q,K,12,17	11,16,19	10,A,18	2,22,D	Total	Avg
1	SDC Rhythm XP (US)	33	24	18	26	29	21	21	18	18	19	227	22.7
2	Golden Knights (US)	26	22	17	22	28	15	21	17	16	17	201	20.1
3	Dubai Asaar Ladies (AE)	20	13	14	14	19	12	15	15	10	13	145	14.5
4	Fuzion (CA)	13	13	12	19	19	12	15	8	13	13	137	13.7

Once again, the results of the three teams who competed at the USPA Nationals and the 4th DIPC (SDC Rhythm XP, Dubai Asaar Ladies, Fuzion) can be used to estimate this time how the Golden Knights may have finished in Dubai last week.

The same formula would give the Golden Knights a 19.3 average after the team's 20.1 average at the USPA Nationals. The Aerodyne French Girls finished with a 20.9 average at the 4th DIPC, which would obviously not be the same encouraging news for the US national team in 4way Women as it was for Arizona Airspeed in the Open Class. There seems to be a lot of work ahead for the Golden Knights.

The French team has moved forward since the World Cup 2013 in Banja Luka, which is a significant move, even disregarding the results of the Golden Knights at the USPA Nationals. The meet averages of NMP-PCH Hayabusa and Barkli at the World Cup also indicate the same strong French development in the female 4way category.

Aerodyne French Girls	Golden Knights

Hayabusa, Barkli and Raykipo all finished with lower meet averages in Dubai, compared to the World Cup in Banja Luka. Only the Dubai Asaar Ladies slightly increased their scores (14.1 - 14.4) between World Cup and 4th DIPC, while the Aerodyne French Girls went from 20.0 in August to 20.9 last week.

All numbers, the real ones on the leaderboards and the estimated ones after comparing the results and using the special formula, are telling the same story in 4way Women: France has a very strong new lineup, and the Golden Knights have to work hard to catch up.

The US Army team has done exactly that after the Mondial 2012 and was on the same level until the World Cup 2013. France has obviously made the next move now, and the Golden Knights will have a new opportunity to fight back at the Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship 2014.